Movies today seem to have difficulty making something happy. No matter how hard they try, it almost always comes off as being fake. This is where Validation comes in. A short film directed by Kurt Kuenne that oozes joy. And not the fake kind. By the end of this 17 minute film I was beaming. I was so happy that I immediately watched it a second time just to make sure I wasn't imagining it. I wasn't. Then I began showing it to every single person I could, and each one of them was smiling at the end. In fact, I have yet to see one single person who did not care for this movie, or did not feel great at the end of it.
The plot it simple, a man gives out free validation. Yes, the car kind. But he also throws in a bit of the other validation, and brightens the day of everyone he meets. Except as he is going out to get his drivers license renewed, he sees a girl and instantly falls in love. The only problem? She doesn't smile. I won't delve any deeper into the plot, but rest assured, it ends well.
The movie is filmed in black and white for no other reason than that it looks good. And after seeing the whole thing, you really couldn't imagine it in color. The music, to put it simply, is genius. An upbeat Gospel tune rings out throughout almost the entire movie, and every time I hear it I want to dance. The actors of course do a great job, overacted yes, but it's clearly on purpose.
Validation is a movie I believe everyone should see. It's funny, charming, and at the end of it all, a piece of joy. Look it up and watch it. I can guarantee you'll be glad you did.
